Method for dyeing raw fibrous stock



P. MACINTYRE.

METHOD FOR DYEING RAW F|BROLJS STOCK. V

:7 A APPL CATION FILED SEPT-15, 1919. 1 393 5 79 is Pat med 00 0. 12 19200 2 SHEETS--SHEET 1.

HOT NATE? P. MAclNTYRE.- METHOD FOR DY EING RAW FIBROUS STOCK.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 15, 1919.

Patented Oct. 12, 19200 2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

U U U .0 or o o 6 O o o o o 0 0 o o b o o ,o o o o o o o o 0 o @0 a 000 O 0 o 0 o o o o o o o o o o o o o 0 o o o 0 n I UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER MAoINTYR-E, or onnv'ron, MASSACHUSETTS.

\ METHOD FOR DYEING- FIBROIlS STOCK. I

Specification of Letters Patent.

' Application filed September 15, 1919. Serial No. 323,707.

raw cotton by either natural or synthetic indlgo.

By my method large quantities of raw stock can be dyed with indigo," with the production on the fibers of an indigo color far superior in quality and durability to any that can be obtained by dyeingyarn. The

. color resulting is faster, more brilliant and durable and does not fade so easily by light,-

25 secured to the wall of the tank either washing, crocking or rubbing.

My invention relates also to the apparatus in which my method is practised, this apparatus being so constructed and arranged that large quantities of material can be treated and the steps of boiling out the raw stock,

dyeing, oxidizing, washing and extracting the Water, or other liquor, or as many of these steps as may be desired; can all be carried out in the same machine, thereby producing economy of material, time and labor and getting the dyed stock into suitable con-' dition for carding and subsequent spinning into yarn. I y

The process will be readily understood from the accom anying description and drawings, in whic1" Figure 1 is an elevation of the system,

parts being shown in section; Fig. 2 is a partial plan of Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a somewhat diagrammatic crosssection, showing the circulating system and its connections.

- Referring to the drawings F is a tank,

shown as made ofconcrete, though it' may be made of metal, if desired. The tank is.

provided with a perforated false bottom G,

spaced, as by legs H, above the real bottom, which has opening into it a delivery pipe, P.

A steam coil 50 is located beneath the false bottom, steam being delivered through pipe T from a suitable source of'supply.

Arranged to fit loosely within the tank is a perforated steel or iron cover A having projecting therefrom a series ,of radial tongues having openings therein to fit over bolts 20, the shanks of which are embedded I, andv water-supply.

inthe concrete, while the free screw-threaded ends pro ect. into cavities 21, formed in the concrete wall. These cavities are deep enough to allow the heavy perforated cover to ad ust1tself to the quantity of raw stock 7 in the tank.

When the cover is resting upon the stock the nuts 22 are screwed down, so that the cover is prevented from rising, when liquid is forced theret'hrough in the operations to be presently described.

The tank is also provided with a second cover B, large enough in diameter to extend over the upper rim of the tank F. The up- B has a corresponding depending ring 24. The cover B is held in air-tight engagement with the tank by means of a series of bolts PatentedOct. 12, 1920.

per rim has a packing ring which maybe located 1n an annular groove and the coverand B are preferably so propor- This cover B has extending therethrough;

an air pipe 27 and may also have a similarly arranged water pipe 28. These pipes are providedwith flexible connections, or couplings to .suitable'sources of pressure air,

Extending through the wall of the tank near its upper portion is an opening, 28,

which is provided with a removable screwplug closure, 8. 29 is a receiving chamber having a delivery pipe 30 connected to tank K; 31 is a partition extending downwardly 7 to'near the bottom of the tank. Additional partitions may be used to divide this tank into several compartments, as indicated in F ig. 2. Extending into the tank K is the pipe 32 by which liquor is delivered from tank K into the circulating system. By this arrangement external air is prevented from being drawn into the system, thereby pre venting oxidation of the dye liquor and giving an even circulation all the time the stock is being dyed.

The outer end of pipe 32 is connected to a T-fitting or chamber, 33, provided with a three-way valve, 3. 7

Extending downwardly from this valve- Pipe 42 is connected to another T-fitting having therein three-way valve 5 and provided with pipes 45 and 46, the latter being a drain pipe. Pipe 45, at its upper end is connected into a three-way fitting 46,-

having therein three'way valve, 6, and connected thereto are pipes 47 and 48. Pipe 47 is connected at its other end into fitting 33, and pipe 48 is a return pipe. for delivering liquor into storage tanks C, C.

rom these storage tanks liquor is delivered through pipe 49, provided with valve, 7, into pipe 37. Valved hot and cold water connections 50, 51 are also connected to pipe 37. The three-way valve comprises a conical shell having three quadrantally arranged openings, the fourth side being closed. As each of the fittings has three openings, with the fourth side closed, the valve can be adjusted to bring any two of these openings into open connection with the third opening closed. The squared stem by which the valve is operated, preferably has some indication thereon, as shown in Fig. lto indicate its position.

In operating the machine to dye raw stock with indigo, the raw stock is put into the tank F and the perforated cover A lowered until it rests upon the stock. The nuts are then screwed down on bolts 20 into engagement with the cover, which is thus prevented from rising, the cover itself holding the stock firmly in the tank so that it may not float about in the dye liquor.

Cold water is then admitted by opening valve 52, until the tank F is filled. The cold water flows in through pipes 37, 38, pump 2, pipe 39, valve 4 and pipe 44 into the bottom of the tank. The valve 52 is then closed and the requisite amount of caustic (such as a solution of caustic soda and soda ash at about 72 Twaddell) is added, as into tank K. The pump is then started and the valves 3, 4, 5 and 5 being so set that the liquor will be pumped" from tank K (intowhich it has overflowed from tank l3) through pipe 32, valve 3, pipes 34,

. 38, pump 2, pi es 39, 41, past valve 4, into the tank l team is also turned through pipe T, into the coil in the bottom of tank F. The stock is then boiled for about 30 minutes, and the stock is thus thoroughly cleaned and wetted down so as to have it in condition to be dyed with indigo. Steam is then shut off and cold water is allowed to run through the system until the water integer and mass of raw stock are cold-the valves 3, 6 and 5 being set to allow the water to flow into the drain pipe 46. Valve 5 is then set to shut oif pipe 42, and dye liquor is admitted through valve 7 and pipe 49 to fitting 35, thence through the pump to pipes 39, 40 and 41, past valve 4, through pipe 44 into and up through the mass of raw stock in tank 1*, until the system is filled with indigo liquor. The indigo liquor, after shutting off valve 7, is then circulated through the mass of raw stock for about an hour. The valve 6 is then set to shut off pipe 47, valve 3 to shut off pipe 34, valve 4 to shut ofi pipe 41 and valve 5 to close the drain pipe. The pump is then used to pump the li uor out of the tank F and back into tanks I The raw-stock thus thoroughly cleaned, wetted down and saturated with indigo liquor i now ready to be oxidized to de velop the color. Instead of subjecting the mass to oxidation after removal from the tank or by movement through the air, as now practised in oxidizing dyed yarn in the chain, I subject the mass of now dyed raw stock .to air under considerable pressure, say from 10 to 30 pounds.

The apparatus is arranged for this purpose by placing the air-tight cover B in place on top of the tank F, and bolting it down, so The plug 8 is screwed into place, and the valves 3, 4, 5 and 6 are set so that air admitted through pipe 27 will pass down through the raw stock and out through valves 4 and valve 5. The air pressure is maintained for about twenty minutes, with the result that the color. is developed on every fiber of the mass of raw stock.

I have thus succeeded in dyeing with indigo, raw stock inlarge masses, 800 to 900 pounds at a time, as far as ll am aware, heretofore attained. To wash the dyed mass, the air is shut off, plug 8 removed, and valves 3, 4, 5 and 6 set so that water is admitted through valve which is a result never,

that an air-tight closure is effected.

52 into the pump and thence forced through valve 4 into the tank and out past valves 3, 6 and 5 to the drain. Washing will require about twenty minutes. Washing may also be done by admitting water through pipe 28 in cover B.

Tf the fiber is to be subjected to any further preparation, the requisite liquors can be added to tank and circulated in the manner previously described. In order to remove the water or other liquor from the dyed mass of stock, the plug 8 is screwed into place, and air is again introduced under pressure through the cover B. The valve 5 being opened to the drain, and intermediate valves properly set, a large amount of the water will be driven ofi, to such an extent that no further water extractlon in extractors, as now commonly used, is necessary. After shutting off the air supply and" removing the covers A and B, the dyeing process is completed and the mass of dyed stock is ready for removal from tank F to be dried and is then without any further treatment ready for carding.

While I have described the apparatus in some, detail, my invention is in no way, limited to the specific arrangements or constructions specified. Thus instead of a concrete tank, an iron or steel tank has been used, such tank being provided with suitable means for holding down the perforated cover and for holding down the cover B, air-tight, on the tank 'F.

' So also the process has been described, as 'used by me for dyeing with indigo, but the method may also be available for other vat dyes requiring to be oxidized.

It is to be further noted that my system effects great economy in the use of dye 10. The process as claimed in claim 9 in which the excess water is removed by air pressure. v a

11. The process of dyeing raw cotton stock, in bulk which consists in boiling out the said mass with a caustic solution, wash- Q ing the same, then subjecting the 'said mass of raw stock to an indigo dyeing liquor, removing the excess liquor, oxidizing the dyed fibers of said 'mass by forcing air through the said mass, and then washing the liquor, since the surplus liquor is not said mass by forcing water therethrough.

wasted, but is pumped back into the storage tanks. While primarily designed for indigo dyeing, the apparatus may be used with other vat dyes, either hot or cold.

I claim: i 1. The method of dyeing raw stock which consists in subjecting the raw-stock in bulk to the action of adye liquor and then oxidizing the dye by forcing an oxidizing agent through the mass. 2. The process as claimed in claim 1 in which the mass of raw stock is dyed with indigo and oxidized by .air under pressure. 3. The process of dyeing raw stock in bulk which'consists in circulating the dye' liquor through the mass of raw stock and then oxidizing the dye by forcing air through the said mass of stock.

4. The process as described in claim 1 which the mass of dyed stock is washed by forcing water through th'esaid mass.

5. The process as described in claim 2 in which the, mass isfirst treated by forcing a caustic. solution therethrough. a 6. The process as described in claim 3 which the mass is first treated by forcing caustic solution therethrough, and the dye stock is washed by forcing water through the mass.

7. The process as claimedin claim .3 in

I which the excess dye liquor is removed from the mass by air-pressure.

8. The process ,claimed in claim 3 in which the mass of dyed stock is'washed by 12. The process of dyeing raw fibrous cotton stock which consists in confining a mass of said stock in a chamber, forcing indigo dye liquor through said mass, and 'removing the excess dye liquor and oxidizing the saturated fibers by forcing air through said confined mass.

13. The process as claimed in claim 12 in I which the oxidized mass is Washed by forcing water therethrough.

14. The process as claimed in claim 12 in which the oxidized mass istwashed by forcing water therethrough, and the excess of wash water is removed from the confined mass by air under pressure.

stock. which consists in confining a mass 15. The process of dyeing raw fibrous v of said stock in a chamber, washing said stock by forcing hot washing liquid therethrough, removing said washing liquid and cooling said mass by forcing cold water through said mass,cir'culating' dye liquor through said mass, removing the excess dye liquor anc oxidizing the saturated fibers by forcing air through said mass, forcing water through said mass to wash the same, and

removing the excesswash water from said mass by air under pressure.

16. The process claimed in claim 15 in which raw fibrous cotton is washed with caustic and dyed with indigo.

' In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

PETER MAOINTYR'E. 

